What is Dwell Time?
The average amount of time visitors spend at a specific location or within a defined area.
Definition
Dwell time measures how long visitors remain at a location, typically tracked through mobile device location data by platforms like Placer.ai. In CRE site selection, dwell time indicates the nature of a location — high dwell time (30+ minutes) suggests a destination where people come for a specific purpose and stay (shopping center, restaurant district), while low dwell time (under 10 minutes) suggests pass-through or convenience traffic (gas station, quick-service restaurant). Dwell time varies significantly by tenant type and should be compared against category benchmarks rather than evaluated in absolute terms. Longer dwell times generally correlate with higher spending per visit, making high-dwell locations attractive for concepts that benefit from browsing behavior. For CRE analysis, dwell time is most useful when compared across candidate sites to understand relative visitor engagement.
Example
A lifestyle center with an average dwell time of 72 minutes indicates visitors are staying for multiple stops, making it attractive for retailers who benefit from impulse shopping and browsing behavior.
Related Terms
Learn more about dwell time in practice
Foot Traffic Analysis Guide